Syria forces on edge of key rebel-held town

Syrian regime forces have reached the outskirts of a key city on the edge of the country’s last rebel-held stronghold, a monitor and a pro-government newspaper said yesterday.

The mainly deserted city of Maaret al-Numan is a strategic prize lying on the M5 linking Damascus to Syria’s second city Aleppo, a main highway coveted by the regime as it seeks to regain control of the entire country.

It is one of the largest urban centres in the beleaguered northwestern province of Idlib, the last stronghold of anti-regime forces and currently home to some three million people—half of them displaced by violence in other areas.

The regime and its Russian ally have escalated their bombardment against the jihadist-dominated region since December, carrying out hundreds of air strikes in southern Idlib and the west of neighbouring Aleppo province.

Over the past 24 hours, government ground forces have seized seven villages on the outskirts of Maaret al-Numan, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said yesterday.

They have now reached “the edges of the city and are... within gunfire range of part of the highway”, it said.

 

Syria forces on edge of key rebel-held town

Syrian regime forces have reached the outskirts of a key city on the edge of the countrys last rebel-held stronghold, a monitor and a pro-government newspaper said yesterday. The mainly deserted city of Maaret al-Numan is a strategic prize lying on the M5 linking Damascus to Syrias second city Aleppo, a main highway coveted by the regime as it seeks to regain control of the entire country. It is one of the largest urban centres in the beleaguered northwestern province of Idlib, the last stronghold of anti-regime forces and currently home to some three million peoplehalf of them displaced by violence in other areas. The regime and its Russian ally have escalated their bombardment against the jihadist-dominated region since December, carrying out hundreds of air strikes in southern Idlib and the west of neighbouring Aleppo province. Over the past 24 hours, government ground forces have seized seven villages on the outskirts of Maaret al-Numan, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said yesterday. They have now reached the edges of the city and are... within gunfire range of part of the highway, it said.